User blog:Carrieunderwoodfanforlife/3 Directions We'd Love to See Carrie Underwood Take for Album 6
With a career built on number one hits and a legion of fans that voted her to win both American Idol and dozens of awards, Carrie Underwood '''will almost certainly be releasing her sixth album through UMG's Capitol Nashville sometime in 2018. Arguably country music's biggest female name for the last ten years, her albums have always managed to sell at least a million copies, carefully toeing the line between modern country and pop, never quite as twangy as Miranda Lambert's music, and never quite as pop as Taylor Swift's. No, Carrie Underwood's music has always been a careful concotion of Nashville's brightest songwriting and producing talents. But, at a time when she no longer needs to sell millions or win awards to prove her merit or longevity, at a time when a thousand people have commented on her ability to sing live (which sits above most of her average counterparts), is Carrie Underwood finally in a place where she can take more creative risks and pursue a different direction? That is not to say there is anything wrong with sticking with a formula that has ensured success on the charts - see "Before He Cheats", "Church Bells", "Blown Away", "Two Black Cadillacs", and similar hits - but she is a country artist who has taken on songs from Guns N Roses, Coldplay, R.E.M., Aerosmith, and Linda Ronstadt, all to praise from the critics. There are many layers to Underwood's style, country just being the most prominent of them. Is the move to a new label the perfect time to showcase a new side to her artistry? If she does indeed decide to shake things up with album #6, here are 3 directions we'd love to see the Grammy winner take. '''1. Country Meets Adult Contemporary No other major country act could make bridging the gap between country and the AC charts look as easy as Carrie Underwood. Adult contemporary is not exactly easy to define - it lacks the throbbing bass and sometimes irritating sound effects of the pop music found on this week's Billboard Hot 100, but it never strays into country's downhome, rootsy territory, either. The best examples of modern-day AC include "Just The Way You Are" by Bruno Mars, "Back to December" from Taylor Swift, "Unconditionally" by Katy Perry, "Stay" by Rihanna and Mikky Ekko, "Who Knew" from Pink, "Piece by Piece" by Kelly Clarkson, and "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" from Adele. Older examples could include "Taking Chances" by Celine Dion or "Bubbly" by Colbie Caillat. At any rate, you get the picture - Underwood's music would just have to be tweaked a bit more to fit into that comfortable, middle of the road AC slot. In fact, she has already given examples of what AC would sound like coming from her - interestingly enough, her first album has been her most pop-leaning. "That's Where It Is", "Lessons Learned", and "Some Hearts" are perfect examples. Having passed the 8 million in sales mark, Some Hearts the album clearly had something the fans wanted to hear, all around the world. Except now she's in her thirties - she wouldn't just have to sing about love going wrong or right. She could pick songs that cover any manner of life's oddities and challenges. The key is finding that niche that will appeal to not just her American fans. Underwood, in recent years, has made increasingly more appearances in the United Kingdom - releasing singles to the worldwide adult contemporary charts would ensure even more exposure. Similar to "Chaser" from Storyteller, but on a larger scale. Doing so would also open up opportunities to perform in major cities she has never performed in, helping introduce her brand of country music to a wider audience, who just might decide they're into it. Going this direction would also allow her to channel the rockstar persona that longs to be unleashed. 2. Take Us to Church What country artist today can sing the gospel better than Carrie Underwood? If you haven't yet seen her performance of "Softly and Tenderly" at this year's CMA Awards, check it out. We're not saying she would have to do an album full of church hymns. No, Carrie could easily channel her deep faith into her songwriting, perhaps work with writers who have produced hits for Francesca Battistelli, Lauren Daigle, Plumb, Mandisa, Natalie Grant, and Hillary Scott. "Something in the Water" was something of a huge Christian hit for her in 2014, so she could certainly take it a step further and release a couple of singles directly intended for Christian radio. This direction would also require a bold, pop-leaning sound, and we're okay with that. 3. Taditional When we say traditional, we don't mean Americana. No, we would love to see Carrie Underwood take on the old days. Anything from Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette...you get the picture. Anything from the 60s and 70s. Take on that heartache, Carrie! Sing about real life. She's already done a terrific job with her performances of "Make the World Go Away" and "Remember When" by Alan Jackson - we want more of that! Or....she could just continue sticking with her usual sound, and continue to sell millions. Whatever works for her. Category:Blog posts